Bhubaneswar: Flagging an alarming trend in Mayurbhanj, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has stated that while the district reported fewer road accidents than several other parts of Odisha, the proportion of deaths and injuries arising from those crashes was the highest among the selected regional transport office (RTO) limits.According to the CAG report for the year ended March 2024, tribal-dominated Mayurbhanj recorded 2,708 accident cases between 2019 and 2024, significantly lower than Khurda (4,650), Cuttack (3,886) and Sundargarh (3,999).However, the district has witnessed 1,598 deaths and 2,531 injuries, translating into a fatality rate of 59.01% and an injury rate of 93.46%, the highest among all the RTOs examined in the audit report.By comparison, Khurda recorded a fatality rate of 35.14%, while Cuttack reported 37.8%, the report said. Even districts with a higher number of accidents, such as Sundergarh and Ganjam, registered a lower fatality rate than Mayurbhanj. The findings indicate that crashes in the Mayurbhanj district, mostly involving two-wheelers, are proving more severe and deadly than in many other parts of the state.The audit attributed the situation to shortcomings in road safety enforcement and implementation of preventive measures. “The failure of the transport department in reducing accidents, fatalities and injuries is attributed to lack of enforcement and road safety measures,” the report observed.Road safety experts said the figures warrant a focused intervention. “A higher fatality rate despite fewer accidents suggests that crashes are either more severe or emergency response and enforcement mechanisms are inadequate. The govt needs to identify the black spots and strengthen enforcement, as well as trauma care facilities,” said Syed Maqbool Ali, a road safety expert in Bhubaneswar.Transport department officials said efforts are being made to improve enforcement and awareness. “The state has intensified road safety campaigns, enforcement drives and monitoring of black spots. District-specific strategies will be strengthened wherever accident severity remains high,” a senior transport official said.The findings come amid Odisha’s broader efforts to curb road fatalities through stricter enforcement, awareness campaigns and infrastructure improvements. The state govt has recently launched a campaign to increase the use of helmets among two-wheeler riders who are most vulnerable to accidents.“Awareness measures by govt departments and civil society organisations will translate only when people bring about a behavioural change. People need to understand that using a helmet and wearing a seat belt is not just to avoid penalties and save money; but saving their valuable lives instead,” road safety activist P V Raman said.